Shot in the Dark
by Dragonfire707
Summary: Sequel to Godspeed. Heero's been gone for six years, in which time Relena has been raising their son. On just about the day she nearly gives up, a man is hiding in the shadows of an assembly hall & discovered by a six-year-old little boy. Finished! :)
1. Default Chapter

**Shot in the Dark**

**A sequel to Godspeed**

**By Dragonfire**

**AU: Umm….I'm back! :D Hehhehheh…stares at empty audience Okay, so I know everyone left in the, like, eight-month span of me not updating coughat allcough but maybe this will bring some folks back? Anyway, this is the sequel to my songfic Godspeed…if you haven't read it, it'd make sense to do so before continuing on - don't worry, it's not that long at all. If you have read Godspeed, I am amazed that you are back for more! =) Amazed and honored.**

** In any case, I have to make sure I thank Adilande - THANK YOU SO MUCH! If it weren't for you, this fic would still be in my Drafts folder!! Much luvs!**

** Okay! Thanks to everybody who has reviewed any of my work! Hope you guys enjoy this one! :D Let's say...about five or so chapters? Mind you, that's tentative, but it'll be a lot shorter than my other fics. :D**

Chapter 1

"Really, Relena, I would've watched him for you."

Preoccupied with making sure her son's tie looked perfect, Relena Peacecraft didn't even glance up at her best friend. "Hilde, you know you have to watch your kids, and he was over there last night. It's not a problem, I'll just - "

"You can't take a kid to a Council meeting, Re, not when you're making the biggest speech - "

"Of my career, I know. But I couldn't find a babysitter - "

"So let me watch him! I'm close enough to being his aunt, for heaven's sake. Who cares if I watched him last night - "

"Mom?"

Both women stopped and turned to look at the blond six-year-old watching them with a hint of amusement in his observant, always-alert dark blue eyes. "What, Case?" Relena asked, sighing. She hadn't meant to squabble with Hilde, but she was so tired of having to get help from everyone for everything…

"I'll sit right in the chair, Mom, and I won't move. Promise. I can even hold up your note cards for you if you want."

She had to smile. How lucky she had been, to get Case; always eager to please, eager to help, eager to try and make things right for his single mother. Though too young to fully realize the gravity of the situation, and how much Relena was struggling, Case was more than perceptive enough to see that his mom needed more than a little extra help, and that she was far too stubborn in not receiving that help.

"That's okay, honey. It'll be really long, though, Case. You'll have to sit there - "

"It's fine, Mom," he assured her, deep blue eyes - his father's eyes - twinkling. Then Case thought about the seriousness of that possibility - two hours with no toys, and no fidgeting! - and began to have second thoughts.

Relena, seeing an oncoming storm, quickly added, "You can bring one toy, Case, but only one. And you can't lose it there, or make too much noise…or bother anybody with it, or - "

She stopped. Both Hilde and Case were giving her their typical raised-eyebrow you're-being-a-worrywart looks.

"I won't, Mom," Case said, smiling.

Relena took a breath. "Okay. Run to your room and grab a toy, then go by the window and wait for the limousine. I'll grab my purse."

"And your note cards," he added as he dashed off to the stairs. "They're in the study, on the computer!"

Watching him go, Relena felt the familiar pulling of her heartstrings. He was _such_ a good kid…

"He'll be fine," Hilde said quietly. Relena, shaken from her thoughts, quickly reached up and tucked her hair behind one ear to appear busy. Hilde watched her friend closely, then added in a low murmur, "I'm just worried about his mom."

Relena didn't move. She kept her eyes on the floor, and mumbled, "I'm fine."

"If that's true, I'm the Queen of Sheba."

They both looked at Hilde then, in her faded overalls and t-shirt, dark hair back in a messy ponytail, grease stains on the clothing courtesy of her and Duo's mechanic shop. Hilde laughed, Relena managed a smile, and then Case was back downstairs - complete with a fistful of Legos - and there came a polite honk from outside.

"Limousine," Case yelled, excitement evident in his voice. He waved goodbye to Hilde and made a dash for the door.

"Wait up, honey, and be careful - it just rained…" Relena gave Hilde a quick one-armed hug, gathered her things, and opened her umbrella. Then they were outside, and Hilde crossed to the huge living room window to watch the pair get into the vehicle and pull away.

"And if I really was the Queen of Sheba," Hilde murmured, her forehead pressed against the cool glass of the window, "I would force that guy down here to see what he did to you, Re, make him apologize on bended knee, and then chop his head off…"

A moment passed, then Hilde gave a groan.

"Okay, so I couldn't do that, you'd hate me forever…all right, I'll think of some torture device…just give me a few minutes…"

As they entered the grand Council room, Relena immediately took Case to an inconspicuous seat in the middle of the auditorium. It he sat too close to the stage it would become a distraction for her, but there was no way she would let him sit so far back that he was out of her sight. Case climbed happily into the assigned chair, gave her a big grin, and said, "I'll watch you the whole time, Mom."

Relena bent and quickly kissed him on the cheek, never believing the words but appreciating them all the same. "That's fine, honey, but just stay right there, okay? If you be good we can have ice cream afterwards."

"But Mom, you have a meeting after the speech, right?"

She caught herself, felt her heart and throat constrict, then managed a weak smile and murmured, "You're right, I do. Well, after the meeting, then. Okay?"

The blond head nodded once, then bent cheerfully over his Legos. Relena, walking backwards, left him. As she passed the nearest usher, she whispered, "Keep an eye on my boy?"

Looking surprised, the elderly woman nodded. Relena gave Case one final glance, and then strode away, thinking bitterly to herself, _Yes, that's me, the mother who no one will baby-sit for, the single mother who is a complete workaholic but can't help it because otherwise she wouldn't be able to survive. Yes, me, the one blessed with a boy who deserves the best of everything – especially a father – and me, the one who is so hardheadedly stubborn that she refuses to move on…_

She climbed the stairs backstage and was immediately assaulted by a horde of makeup, dress, and sound professionals; Relena was dragged into a dressing room and stuffed into a beautiful, elegant, blatantly horridly expensive suit, and then pulled into a chair in front of a huge mirror. This was where thousands upon thousands of poking, prodding, teasing, brushing, and all-around 'primping' took place; within ten seconds flat – it seemed like – she was wearing enough stage makeup for a Broadway premiere and her hair was in the most elegant yet professional-looking updo she had ever seen. Then again, that was how she always felt after these 'artists' were finished…

And then she stood numbly while listening to three of the sound crew give her harried, three-second instructions on how to make sure the microphone was still in place, in what direction to speak, etc. Finally, when it seemed like it was all done, she heard the Council leader's booming voice bellow, "…Foreign Minister and Senate member, Relena Peacecraft!"

There was the polite applause, of course much less than any other Senator received, and then she was striding briskly out onto the stage, headed toward that lonely podium in the glaring stage lights, pasting the smile on her face, shoving all her grief and worry and anxiety to the back of her mind, becoming the professional robot.

Her mouth opened mechanically, and as Relena the person drifted away, Relena the businesswoman, the automatic machine, smiled and began to speak.

In the seats, Case was doing very well for an energetic six-year-old. His Lego supply was more than adequate, and the nice old man seated next to him kept smiling genuinely at his creations and giving very helpful tips. Case suspected that the man had done some Lego-constructing in his own lifetime.

His forehead creased and Case bit his lip as he struggled to fasten the wheels onto his newly-renovated Lego-automobile. Finally, with the satisfactory 'click', they connected – and then a burst of applause thundered in the auditorium. Case looked up, surprised and delighted to see his mother cross the stage, and as a result lost his grip on his car. It fell to the ground and immediately went rolling, on its newly-connected wheels, up the aisle. Spurred on by speed of the fall, the car fairly zoomed its way farther and farther away from Case.

Realizing trouble when he saw it – he was quite certain the old people sitting in the auditorium wouldn't enjoy a show of his Lego skill; he knew that from the dinners he had attended with his mom – Case took a steadying breath, cast a glance at his mom and clapped his hands together a few more times in apology, and then stood up in his seat. The elderly man next to him was distracted, listening intently to the words his mom was saying, and didn't notice as Case went down on his hands and knees and quickly crawled up the aisle after the Lego car.

People were too busy focusing on Relena's speech, and altogether only a select few noticed a young boy crawling through the auditorium. The car stubbornly refused to slow down, however, and by the time it had finally come to a halt it was clear in the back of the hall. The corner was wreathed in shadows and altogether not a very cheerful place, and Case reached forward to grab the toy, fully intent on leaving the creepy corner alone.

His hand hit something that wasn't plastic, though, and Case stood up, astonished. There was a _man_ hiding in those shadows, a man who at the moment was looking down at him in surprise.

"Sorry," Case squeaked, immediately intimidated. The man was very tall, and his dark hair was falling across his face; not to mention the fact that since his features were hidden in the shadows, the man was more than a little frightening. "Sorry," he repeated, backing away slightly, "I lost my Lego car, and…"

The man stepped forward, knelt down, and picked up something from the ground. He offered whatever it was to Case, and said, "Here you go."

Gratefully, Case reached out his hand to retrieve the toy, but all of a sudden he looked up, and met the man's gaze – and then he could not look away.

The physical feature Case was the most proud of was his eyes. In all his young life, short as it might have been, he had never met anyone who possessed the same degree of intensity as he did in his eyes. Nor had he met anyone with whom he shared the color; his eyes were a striking deep blue, a shade his mother affectionately called Prussian. Relena had also told him that his eyes were special, and as a result Case was extremely fond of his unique feature.

But this man, the one he had met in the shadows, had the exact same eyes as Case, down to the very last fleck of gold. Their faces just inches apart, Case found himself absolutely unable to look away, and slowly, he watched a hint of astonishment grow on the man's rugged features.

"You…you're her son," the man said, and it came out strangely shaky.

The sound of the man's voice jolted Case out of his stunned surprise; realizing what the stranger had said, Case paused for a moment to think, then said cheerfully, "Oh yeah, that's my mom up there."

The man rocked back on his heels, moving into the shadows again. "You're - Case?"

"Yeah," the little boy returned, delighted that a man who shared his eyes would know his name. "That's me." He paused, then added, "How'd you know?"

"I…I knew your mom, when we were growing up."

"Oh that's cool," Case said enthusiastically, eager to keep up a conversation with this stranger. "You went to school together?"

"Something like that, yeah." Silence stretched between them for a moment, and then he said in a low tone, "How is she these days?"

Always eager to please, Case replied with a jovial, "She's great! We have lots of fun, you know, we go get ice cream and stuff like that." Another pause. "When she doesn't have meetings."

The lines on the other's face softened. "She has a lot of meetings?"

Case nodded, his smile fading a little. "She works really hard, you know, because her job is helping other people and that takes a lot of time, but it's worth it."

For the first time, the corners of the man's mouth curved slightly: a hint of a smile. "She told you that?"

"Yup."

The man opened his mouth to say something else – probably another question – but they were interrupted by a round of applause, much more thunderous than the previous. Case turned quickly as the man shrank back into the shadows, and the little boy realized that his mom had finished her talk, and was striding down the steps. It would only be a matter of seconds before she came looking for him.

"Uh oh," he muttered, turning apologetically to the man. "I better go."

For a moment, the stranger just looked at him, staring down the three feet that separated them. Then, he broke into a quiet smile, and said, "It was nice to meet you, Case."

Worried about the possibility of his mother not finding him, Case nodded quickly, flashed the man a smile, took his Lego car, and hurried away, calling, "You too!"

The man slid back into the shadows, practically disappearing, as Case threaded his way through the slow Council members until he had traversed the entire length of the hall and was standing next to his mom. As soon as she finished speaking with a cameraman to her right, he reached up and took her hand. Relena looked, gave him a quick grin and squeezed his hand, and then turned to another reporter.

Moving slowly, talking constantly, she finally ended up outside of the capitol. Case, startled, glanced around. He had thought she would lead him into another business office…

"Mom?"

The reporter nearest to Relena stopped talking, and smiled at the little boy. Relena turned, too, and said, "What, honey?"

"I thought you had a meeting."

The reporter's smile grew, and Relena gave Case a grin. "Nope, they canceled it."

Concern grew on the six-year-old's face. "Did you get in trouble?"

Surrounding reporters laughed, and one of them reassured him, "No, son, we just loved your mother's speech so much that we decided to let her take a break."

Relena gave a rather undignified snort, and earned more laughter. Finally, a hundred more hasty comments were made to more reporters and newspapermen, and then at long last their limousine pulled up, and they were in peace in the back seat.

Relena blew out her breath and leaned back against the padded seat. "Well, let's go get that ice cream of yours."

Case grinned. "All right!"

Relena smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing her exhausted limbs. Case waited a moment, then said apologetically, "Sorry I didn't listen to your whole speech, Mom."

Re opened one eye and came very close to laughing at the repentant expression on his face. "Oh, it's fine, honey. It was all very boring anyway. I'm sure your Legos were much more exciting."

"Not really. I lost my car, and it rolled next to a man in the back, so I talked to him."

She didn't move. This was not unusual, and it wasn't as if the elderly Council members were likely to be axe murderers.

"Really? What'd he have to say?"

"Not much. Oh – but Mom, guess what!"

"What?" she murmured drowsily.

"He had the exact same eyes as me!"

Relena went perfectly still.

"And he picked up my car, and we talked about your speech and things like that, and he was really nice, except he stayed in the shadows so I couldn't really – " he stopped, realizing that his mother had turned ghostly white. "Mom?"

She leaned forward, ever so slowly, and whispered, "You said he…" Her voice failed her, and then, with a breath of air, "He – he had your eyes?"

Alerted to the fact that something was very wrong with his mother, Case replied hesitantly, "Yeah…yeah, he did, Mom. I know it was weird – "

Relena jerked forward and put her hands on his shoulders, locking gazes with her son. "Case, honey, you have to tell me exactly what the man looked like. Can you do that?"

Case paused for an agonizing moment, during which Relena could hardly contain herself. Finally, he slowly said, "Well…he was in the shadows, Mom, but – but he was really tall, and he had dark hair – "

"How long?" Relena cut him off, sitting back but still staring at her son.

"What?" Case, bewildered, inquired.

Relena explained, "His hair." She paused, then murmured, "Long enough to…fall into his eyes?"

Case thought about it, then nodded eagerly in confirmation. "Yup, it did. And his eyes were just like mine, lots of little pieces of gold and light blue, like the sky, and they were – "

"A deep, dark Prussian blue." Relena finished the sentence for him. Her eyes came open, and Case saw, to his astonishment, tears shining in her gaze.

"Mom?" the little boy said hesitantly.

It was as if she didn't hear him. Relena turned to stare out the window at the threatening thunderclouds overhead, and whispered in the silence, "Thank you, whoever did this for me." She gave a shaky sigh, barely able to repress the smile that tugged on her mouth. "He was there…"


	2. Chapter 2

**AU: Heeheehee…I'm ba-ack. :-) Second chapter to the sequel to Godspeed, and I have to admit that, at least in the drafts, this was my favorite! Hope you enjoy! Please, please review - criticism is appreciated and praise is loved! Thanks guys!**

A Shot in the Dark:

Chapter 2****

One stop at an ice cream parlor and eight hours later, Relena and Case were safe at home. Case was seated at the table, happily eating his dinner – Waffle Crisps, with Fruity Pebbles for seconds as long as his mom stayed out of sight – and watching Pagan, their butler and cook, fix something a bit more dignified for his mother….adding comments and cheerful criticisms as he saw fit, of course.

Relena was in the vidcam room, talking to Hilde about the day's events. The door was shut, and the expression on Hilde's face was priceless.

"He was _THERE_?" she yelled, absolutely astounded.

"Shh," Relena hushed her. "Case is eating, keep it down."

"What, you're not going to tell him?" Hilde had leaped out of her chair and was now setting the Olympic world speed record for pacing. "His _dad_ just decides to show up for the first time in six years and you're not going to – "

"I will," Relena said, still shushing her. "Just please keep it – "

"What about Case's dad?" Duo's head popped into the vidcam screen, braid swinging. Hilde turned indignantly to her husband. "You idiot! Can't you see that Relena and I are having a nice personal talk? Get out of here!"

"Okay, sure, honey," Duo told her, then promptly turned to Relena again. "What about Heero?"

Relena said, before Hilde could get a word in, "At the speech today – "

"Oh yeah, congratulations on that," Duo said, breaking into a broad grin. "Heard it completely blew 'em away, that you're on contract for another four years."

Startled out of her story, Relena gave him a shaky smile, "Oh – thanks, yeah."

"Would you let her tell her story?" Hilde burst. "For heaven's sake, Case saw _Heero_ at the speech today!"

Duo's grin disappeared, and he turned to Relena in utter amazement.

Quivering slightly – as she had been since the limousine ride home – Relena gave a tremulous smile and said, "Case talked to a man standing in the back, in the shadows. He said he had dark hair that fell in his eyes, and was tall, and – " her voice caught, then she bravely continued, " – and had eyes just like him."

Duo was silent, staring at her.

"Not a very promising description, I know," Relena said hurriedly, eager to show him that she wasn't just overreacting. "But I – I don't know, Duo…I just…_feel_ it somehow. He was there today, and he – " she had to stop; the tears were back. Relena took a long, shuddering breath, and then whispered, "He spoke with his son."

Now Hilde's eyes were filling with tears, and Duo's face softened slightly.

"Oh, Re…" Hilde murmured.

"I don't believe it," Duo whispered, just loud enough for Relena to hear him. "I've been tearing the Colonies and Earth apart for six years trying to find him. I've investigated every possible nook and cranny, I've searched the databases, the monitor systems, the – the _apartments_, for heaven's sake! And all the time he – he's here, going to your speeches…"

"This could've been the first time," Hilde put in.

Duo shook his head, braid swinging. "Of course it wasn't. I can't believe I was such an idiot…"

"About what?" Relena whispered.

"All this time," Duo said, his own voice unsteady now, "I've been looking on ships and Colonies and places halfway across the world…when all this time – " his eyes lifted to Relena " – he's been right here with you."

She recoiled as if she had been struck. "What?" she breathed.

"I can't believe I didn't realize this…" Duo was pacing now, back and forth across his vidcam room. "I was overlooking the most important detail."

"Which is?" Hilde demanded impatiently.

Duo stopped, lifted his head, looked at Hilde. "That he can't leave her alone."

The words hit her hard, and Relena sat down in the vidcam chair, feeling completely winded. "Wha - _what_?" she managed to stammer.

"I should've known…I was wondering why I couldn't find any trace of him at all in the Colonies…but he can't leave you, Re. He can't. He doesn't trust anyone else with your security, so he's been following you, watching you…" Duo's voice trailed off, and Hilde quietly picked it up where he had left off. "Protecting you," she murmured.

The tears were trickling down Relena's cheeks. "I can't believe that," she whispered. "Why would he be so near us, but stay so far away?"

"I don't know," Hilde said, much too grave for her usual personality.

"I do," Duo answered softly. The women's gazes flew to him. His eyes were focused on a picture on the wall, a picture that had been taken in those blissful, carefree days before Relena had gotten pregnant and Heero had disappeared. It was a photograph of the entire gang, from Zechs to Wufei, Relena to Catherine, all taken by surprise by Duo's camera shot. They had been in the midst of laughing at a joke Hide had cracked, and what Relena loved about that picture was that fact that Heero was smiling. She remembered the day vividly - it was the next week that she had learned she was pregnant - and Relena recalled twisting around to smile at Heero after the flash had come and gone, and feeling slightly disappointed that he hadn't been laughing. She didn't realize he had had a smile on his face - the first true smile she'd seen in public with him - until three weeks later, when Heero was declared officially missing and Duo had brought her the picture. Looking down at that picture, where Heero's arms were wrapped protectively around her, the smile on his face, Relena had cried more tears than ever before in her entire life.

"He's scared," Duo continued, his voice just audible enough to be heard, his eyes riveted on the photo. "That's it. That's the reason he's just hidden in the shadows all the time: the man is scared."

"Of what?" Relena burst, feeling the ever-present tears threatening again. "What is he afraid of? All we would do…" a single teardrop trickled down her cheek, and her voice lowered as she whispered, "…is love him."

--------------

The call didn't go on much longer. Eventually Hilde and Duo had to get their own three children to sleep, and Relena was dragged back into her world of responsibility and little blond boys. She found a very patient Pagan in the kitchen, and a very critical Case seated at the table, and saved the old butler-slash-cook by firmly taking Case by the hand and leading him upstairs to bed. Case, of course, completely oblivious to the fact that his neverending questions might grow to be annoying, skipped cheerfully up the stairs.

It was pitch black outside, and the rainclouds had finally burst. A steady downfall was pounding on the roof, and as Case climbed into bed, he said, "I like the rain, Mom. It makes me feel really good inside, all nice and peaceful."

There was a sudden, brief flash of memory in her mind -

_"I love the rain, Relena." His eyes were calm, happy, an expression she adored seeing in his normally hard eyes. "I love the steadiness of it, the comfort."_

Relena smiled slightly as she banished the memory, then closed the door, gave Case a kiss on the forehead and tucked him in, and took her customary place on the windowsill. Case reached up a hand and flicked off the lamp on his nightstand, and in the darkness mumbled sleepily, "Will you sing to me, Mommy?"

"Of course, sweetie," Relena replied, gazing out the window. A glance back at the little boy, however, told her that he wouldn't last through the first verse. Obliging him anyway, Relena sang the first line softly, and then watched as her exhausted son slipped right off into a peaceful sleep.

"That was fast," she remarked wryly, then turned to the window again.

Only about a week ago she had sat at this very windowsill, during another spring thunderstorm, and sung Case a lullaby. As she sang she had quietly sifted through all her old memories, all the emotions welling up inside her day by day, and had ended up out on the balcony. Now, however, the confusion seemed to have been multiplied threefold. So Heero was here…out there, somewhere, but so much closer than she had previously thought.

The concept was hard to grasp. She had gone so long thinking he was light years away, that to come face-to-face with this new idea was too much for her.

Would he return? _Oh, Heero_…Relena thought. Silently, she turned away from the window as the tears began to fall. How she needed him…

She couldn't stop crying. Suddenly all Relena wanted was someone to hold her, to tell her everything would be all right, to comfort and encourage and reassure…but there was no one there. No one except a blissfully unaware little six-year-old.

But he was all she had left, and so, tears streaming down her face, Relena crossed the room and climbed into bed beside her son. She cried for a long while, burying her face in the pillow so as not to wake Case, relishing the gentle warmth emanating from his little body, and then finally she slipped into sleep.

-----------------

This was bad.

He was certainly one for risks, but he had never before had an idea, or thought, or possible plan, that would be so dangerous and risky and - and just not _right_ - as this one. It would be contrary to everything he had worked for and told himself for six years. All the effort he had put into this 'mission' would go down the drain in one swift, absurd movement.

But he couldn't get past this; it nagged at him, kept pulling at his mind and heart until he was nearly crazy with indecision.

He had spoken with his son.

His son.

The pure incredulity of that fact struck him full force, for the umpteenth time that day, and he was shocked so badly that he felt his hands began to tremble ever so slightly. _His son_. The little boy that bore _his_ genes, _his _eyes, _his _traits, _his_ personality…the little boy that belonged to him.

_No_, he told himself forcefully. _There is _nothing_ that belongs to you, and certainly not him_. Which was true, because he certainly didn't deserve to live himself, much less have the blessing of caring for another human being. And certainly not Relena - for with Case came Relena, and there was no way he could ever face her again.

There. It was settled. He would stay right where he was - directly underneath the second-story balcony, to be precise, expertly hidden and completely out of sight - and wait out the night.

He settled back against the wall, closed his eyes and focused on his hearing, totally intent on completing this mission.

_"She works really hard, you know, because her job is helping other people and that takes a lot of time…but it's worth it."_

No, no, _no_…he shook his head violently, desperately trying to get rid of the innocent voice replaying over and over again in his head.

_"We have lots of fun, we go get ice cream and stuff like that."_

Without realizing what he was doing, he straightened his back and leaned forward, looking upwards at the balcony. That owner of that sweet, unsuspecting voice was just yards away…

_"When she doesn't have meetings_."

That settled it. As the slight tones of longing and sadness came quietly back into his mind, he found himself moving, climbing swiftly and silently up the large trellis festooned with vines, bowing his head against the onslaught of rain. He didn't know what he would say, what he would do, just knew that he had to see that little boy -

And then the trellis ended, and he was on the balcony, staring into the room.

There the boy was, asleep on the bed, facing the balcony door. The hair was splayed out in every direction on the pillow, the fair complexion was slightly colored from the excitement of the dreams the child was having, and the long lashes lay like soft dark snowflakes on the pale cheeks.

Without him realizing what was happening, his hand crept up and outwards and slowly - ever so slowly - pulled the terrace door outwards. It swung silently and steadily, but the rain instantly entered the room, and now he was stuck; he couldn't push it shut and face the chance of them seeing him - he would have to push, and run - and he steadied himself for the jump -

But then, unwillingly, he caught another glimpse of the little boy, and instead of pushing and jumping, he found himself slipping quietly into the room and pulling the door shut.

As the sound of the rain disappeared outside and he fully realized what he was doing, his body froze, fighting the urge to dash, to get out of such a vulnerable situation, and for the longest moment he stood staring at that little boy…now just feet away, so incredibly _close_ he could hear the soft, rhythmic breaths -

Something was wrong, though, something was different…he shook his head, aghast at how inept he was becoming tonight, and studied the scene in his mind. It only took him a split second to realize what it was: there were _three _people drawing breath in that room, not two.

It didn't take a genius to know what he had missed. As the realization hit him full force, he staggered backwards a step, narrowly missing a toy box full of Legos in the darkness. She was _there_, in that room, just feet - inches - two arm lengths away, so tantalizingly _close - _

Once again, he didn't seem to have control over his limbs. They moved automatically, though with surety and silence, but even as his mind screamed the word _No!_ over and over again, his heart - and limbs - did not obey. Step by step, inch by inch, he came around the side of the bed, and closer and closer to the woman that he feared, longed for, dreaded, and dreamed about more than anything else in the world.

She was lying there, next to the little boy, fast asleep and, for the first time that he had seen in six years, her face was smooth and peaceful, an angelic little smile gracing her features. The pillow looked damp, and he knew in a snap that she had been crying…his heart twisted involuntarily, and he took a steadying breath. Being so close to her was intoxicating, overwhelming, absolutely -

Wonderful.

A hand reached out - _his_ hand - and his mind was screaming bloody murder again, bellowing a constant warning that this was going to be his destruction - but it was too late. He brushed her cheek, and at the warmth he felt there, he realized that he was helpless. This close to her, and he lost all control, all the perfect authority and rule he had over his emotions.

And then, as his hand slipped away from her face, the worst thing that could possibly happen _happened_.

Her eyelids flickered, and then slowly - agonizingly slowly - came open.

Now, everything was screeching at him to run, to leave, to jump out the window, bust through the door, do something, _anything_, to get away -

But sky-blue sapphire met dark Prussian blue, and he was helpless.

"Heero?"

His heart melted.


	3. Chapter 3

Shot in the Dark:

Chapter 3

For the longest time, she really truly believed that she was dreaming. This could not be real; Heero Yuy could not be standing above her, wreathed in shadows and darkness, yet with a hand hovering near her face. But then Relena heard the pounding of the rain, felt Case's soft breath just beside her, and little by little became aware of the fact that Heero was just inches away from her.

She drew a long, shaky breath, and repeated, "Heero?"

A leg moved slightly in the direction of the balcony, and his hand dropped, but - even though she couldn't see - Relena had the distinct impression that his eyes were locked on her face. As unnerving as that was, the astonishment and shock and unbelievable elation that saturated her whole being as she watched him, she had the presence of mind to realize that the Perfect Soldier was just seconds away from pulling another standard runaway.

She would not let that happen. Relena pushed the covers back and very slowly sat up, never taking her eyes from him. As soon as she was upright, she whispered into the darkness and drumming of the rain, "What are you doing here?"

Full moments passed, with both of them just staring at each other, before he finally whispered back, "I…don't know."

At the sound of his voice again, Relena's heart jumped into overdrive and goosebumps rose on her arms. The pulse was racing through her body; how long had she dreamed of this day? She didn't know what to say, what to do, what to tell him - where to _start_! - didn't want to scare him off, didn't want to be pushy, or forward, or -

"Thirsty?"

_What_? she yelled at herself. _Thirsty? Where in the world did you - _

He didn't move.

"Or hungry?" she continued, desperate to break the silence. "Anything at all, the kitchen's always open. Whatever you want…food, soda, water, coffee - well, that's Pagan's, but he won't mind. Oh, and lemonade and Kool-Aid, too..." Relena gave him an unsteady little smile, "I'm sure Case wouldn't mind either…" her voice trailed off into the darkness. He wasn't moving, and for every second that came without a reply, a piece of her heart broke off and crumbled into nothingness.

"Sounds…good."

The reply came so quietly and unexpectedly that Relena had to think for a moment before it registered in her brain; finally, realizing what he had said, she got out of the bed. "Oh - okay. Here, follow me…"

Very well aware of the fact that her hands were shaking, Relena moved towards the door and resisted the urge to glance behind and see if he was following. Slowly, still unable to believe that she was living out her most cherished and buried fantasy, she went downstairs. His light footsteps were just behind her, and as she flipped on the kitchen light, she felt him stop just in the doorway.

"Is water okay?" she asked, not ready to meet his gaze yet. Relena bowed her head slightly and kept her eyes on what she was doing as she got a cup from the cupboard and filled it with ice, then water. Then she took a deep, steadying breath, and turned, saying, "Here you - "

She was forced to stop. Relena had realized too late that the kitchen was brightly lit, and as a result she could see Heero clearly for the first time…and, quite frankly, the sight of him took her breath away. He was so much taller, and muscular, and more handsome than she had ever remembered; his eyes were burning with that same deep blue intensity that both haunted and graced her dreams; the perfectly messy locks of hair were still hanging in his eyes…eyes that were now looking at her, and blazing with emotion for the first time she had ever seen.

"Heero…" she whispered. He opened his mouth to speak, then apparently thought better of it; a strong hand stretched out, gripped the cup, and took it, then promptly turned and went to sit at the kitchen table.

Relena took a long, deep breath, and then poured herself a drink. Dropping a slice of lemon into the water - though she was seriously considering dropping a couple liters of vodka in there too, maybe that would steady her trembling body - she came to sit across from him. She drew a quick sip, and then put the glass down softly, carefully raising her gaze to study the young man - no; no, of course not, he was a man now - to study the man across from her. Eager to dispel the silence, she said quietly, "How've you been, Heero?"

He glanced up and met her eyes briefly, before looking down at his cup again. "Fine," he said, sounding perfectly calm.

_Well, _Relena thought,_ that makes one of us._ She thought for a moment, realizing how utterly awkward it was to be near him again, and well aware of the fact that she had no idea what to say. Finally, she decided to plunge ahead. She would try not to scare him off, but some questions had to be answered.

"_Where_ have you been?" she asked, keeping her gaze carefully on the table. At her question, his hands flinched slightly, but other than that he gave no sign that the inquiry was an offensive one. Silence stretched for a few moments, however, before he finally murmured, "Around."

"Around?"

Heero glanced up, met her eyes, and to her surprise and delight, a little smile played around his mouth. She hadn't seen him smile in so many years that the sight of it flat-out took her breath away. "Still able to find every hidden meaning, aren't you," he said softly. "Even when I don't say everything I feel, you can still read me like a book."

She had no response to that. "You've been here, haven't you, Heero?" Relena whispered. "You've been watching us, protecting us."

Relena watched him swallow and look down quickly. The silence now seemed to stretch for hours, and then he gave a barely perceptible nod of his head.

"But _why_ didn't you let us know you were there?" Relena murmured, hearing the quaver in her voice and feeling the tears prick at her eyes. But no - she would not cry in front of him. For whatever reason he was sitting at her table, Relena couldn't help but believe he would be long gone by morning.

The fierce eyes were burning holes in her tabletop, she was sure. His muscles were tense, his back stiff…but, to her surprise, she heard him say quietly, "I couldn't."

"Why?" Relena whispered. She didn't want to press, didn't want to scare him off, but she just _had_ to know…

Heero shook his head, swallowed visibly. "I just…"

Feeling concern, sympathy, and a million other emotions well up inside of her, Relena impulsively reached out and rested her hand lightly over his. At her touch, his head lifted, and their eyes met. She was drowning so fast she could hardly get the words out. "Why didn't you let anyone know where you were?"

Staring at her, eyes boring into hers, his mouth opened automatically. He would answer her, if only because those angelic sky-blue eyes were asking him to, and he could never, ever refuse her.

"I could never - "

He was cut off by a loud thump, directly above them.

**AU: Uhh…so that was really short. Barely two pages. My apologies…I seem to have a subconscious love for cliffhangers. Well…if anyone wants more, they better review! heehee...wink! =) Luvs!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Distracted, Heero glanced upwards immediately. Having committed the entire building layout to mind some years before, he knew exactly which room was above the kitchen table: Case's bedroom. His eyes shot to Relena, and saw the immediate worry on her features.

Without another word she stood and left the table, heading directly to the stairs. Heero's heart involuntarily skipped a beat as he saw the maternal fear flash across her face, caught the instant concern in her eyes. She loved that little boy…_their _little boy.

"Is everything okay?" he asked before he could stop the words.

Relena didn't stop, but started going up the stairs as she said over her shoulder, "He falls off his bed sometimes…when he has nightmares."

Nightmares? The kid…his son…suffered from nightmares?

For some reason, such an innocent little thing struck Heero's heart, and before he could stop himself, he was following her. His head was screaming that the minute she had turned her back he could've dashed away, made the perfect escape - but he had known for a very long time that whenever he was near Relena, all reason and practicality was thrown to the four winds.

He studied her back as they climbed the stairs. She was thin, too thin, but she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She paused at the top of the stairs, listening, and Heero nearly ran into her. He stopped just inches away, and suddenly couldn't breathe. Being this close to her, he could smell the subtle scent of her shampoo, could see up close the graceful curve of her neck, could watch the soft porcelain skin shining in the light. Suddenly Heero was flung into a storm of memories - days filled with her laughter and the unspeakably wonderful feeling of having her in his arms, days of feeling his heart warm when she flashed that brilliant smile…days of knowing that he was in possession of the most precious thing in the entire universe.

Relena moved down the hall, and he was pushed roughly back into the present. Reality struck - _he had a son_ - and once again the now-familiar emotions swarmed over him: concern, worry, self-hatred, anger…regret…

It had been so long - but Heero knew, always had known, that he was still in love with her. He just couldn't let her know that. He stepped down the hall after her - why, he had no idea.

They came to Case's door again, and Relena darted inside instantly. Heero caught just a glimpse of the little boy sprawled on the floor, cheeks flushed and hair damp with sweat, and couldn't move. There were features on that sweet little face that were _his_ -

"Oh, God," Relena whispered. She had crouched next to Case, and immediately Heero sensed her intense worry. "Heero, come here," she said, her voice strangled.

His mind flashed _Run, get out of here!_, but his name had fallen from her lips. He was powerless.

Relena's slim hand was on Case's forehead. She shook her head, swallowing, and then pressed her cheek to his. "Oh, God," she said again. "Heero - feel him."

She obviously had no idea what she was doing to him. In her worry she didn't realize that before today he had never even seen his son in person, let alone touch him.

"I - I can't," he whispered, choking slightly on the words. Just being this close to the little boy - and her, at the same time - was affecting him in so many ways he thought he might burst into a million pieces.

Relena didn't hear him. She was pressing her hand against his face again, and then pulling off the covers twisted tightly around Case's body and running her hands over his pajamas. "Heero, it's like - it's like he's on fire," she whispered. He heard the tears in her voice and his heart began thumping - hard. He could never stand to see her cry.

Before he knew it, a hand was reaching out, and very, very softly, Heero rested his fingers on his son's forehead.

His fingers almost felt as if they were being burned. Without meaning to, he gasped. The little boy with _his_ face, _his _eyes…_his_ little boy had a raging fever. Case was very sick, and he would die if he didn't -  
"Get to a hospital," Heero said immediately, raising his gaze to meet Relena's.

The last time he had seen that much fear in her eyes was the day she had told him she was pregnant. It was a deep, heart- and stomach-wrenching fear that, he knew, twisted your insides until you could hardly breathe. "Okay," she whispered, nodding, her breath almost frantic. She leaned forward, slipping her arms around Case, but Heero stopped her -

"Don't," he said, the words slipping out even as his mind screamed in opposition. "You can't carry him."

Looking up and meeting his eyes, Relena suddenly realized what this must be like for him. "Heero…" she said, tears making her voice scratchy.

He could not believe the words he was speaking, even as they tumbled out of him. "Let me take him. Get a bottle of water and a blanket and meet me at the car."

She almost questioned him, but the look in his eyes told her not to. Biting her lip, Relena stood and left. She didn't doubt he knew where the garage was.

Alone in the room with his son, Heero gazed down at the child and almost felt as though he could not breathe. His eyes unwillingly flashed to the balcony doors - and escape - but then Case gave a little cry in his feverish sleep, and before he knew it, he was wrapping his arms around the blond little boy, cradling him to his body, and walking out the door.

There were so many emotions and thoughts running through him that Heero didn't notice the stinging of hot tears in his eyes.

----------

Relena turned the keys in the ignition and sat in the car for a brief second, resting her head against the steering wheel.

Today had been so…surreal. There was no other way to put it. She had saved her career in a single speech - but that was nothing compared to the fact that _he_ had been in the same auditorium to hear that speech. He had spoken with Case…and then he had come to their house. She had spoken with him for the first time in six years - and now, the man that was Case's father was carrying his sick son down to the car. A man Case knew only as a stranger. The man she knew…as her soulmate.

The garage door opened, and she lifted her head. Heero was holding Case as gingerly and protectively as any father who hadn't spent six years not knowing his son…Relena's heart broke. If he left after this, she knew it would break her heart beyond repair - again.

She got out and went around to help him lay Case down in the back seat. They worked together, arranging his burning body in the most comfortable position they could find. Twice their hands brushed, and twice Relena felt her body respond to his touch - even after six long, lonely years. Finally, Case was settled, and she met his eyes. "You can drive, I'll - "

"No." Heero's voice was soft, and his eyes were on his son. "I'll - " he swallowed, then tried again, "I'll sit with him."

Relena cherished that car ride like none she had had before. Case was sick in the back seat, she was driving like mad to the nearest hospital, but amidst all the anxiety and worry she still felt tears prick her eyes when she looked in the rearview mirror and saw Heero hesitantly brushing Case's blond locks out of his eyes.

The tears began to fall, silently, one by one, when she watched him pull his hand back sharply, shaking his head at himself, and resumed a silent vigil.

**AU: Eee…::dodges tomatoes (and stuffed animals!):: Sorry! It's short! I know! I have like 5 minutes to update so unfortunately the break between Chaps 4 & 5 came a little sooner than I had…hehheh…previously thought…but everyone still loves me, right? ::hopeful look:: **

**Review?? ::hopeful look again::**

**::rapid-fire tomatoes::**

**Okay, maybe not.**

**Luvs! =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**AU: Hiya guys!! Holy crap, I cannot believe how many reviews I've got on this story…more than my others combined, pretty much! I cannot thank you enough…this week's been really hard, but coming home and seeing all those reviews cheered me up like you wouldn't believe! Thank you SO much…**

**Okay, this isn't the last chapter, but it's an important one. And yes, it's longer. =) So you can't get mad anymore. Oh! And I know a few people were wondering what the other pilots would say about this whole Heero-returning thing…so I'll bring them in, maybe in the next chapter?**

**Kay! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

The nervous whine of hospital machinery echoed angrily down the hall toward the waiting room, where Heero sat, arms folded, staring blankly at the opposite wall. At this time in the morning, there was no one else in the room; just the attendant at the desk, who kept shooting him curious, almost frightful glances.

_Serves her right_, Heero thought angrily to himself, his hands still clenched into fists. They had put up a fight about taking a serious look at Case for what the young doctor termed a "mild bout of fever." Heero swore under his breath, drawing another look from the attendant, but he didn't notice. Case had felt as if he were going to burn up at any moment - Heero had never felt that kind of fever. The blasted doctor had backed down, but only after an episode between Heero and himself. The Death Glare had served its purpose once again.

And now everything was chaos, which he would have been able to hear had blood not been coursing through his veins with fury. They had passed it off as a _mild fever_, and then, just ten minutes later, when Case suddenly passed out and went limp, they panicked and moved into a flurry of action.

The formerly quiet waiting room had been suddenly stampeded with doctors and nurses, and Case's little body was carried down to the nearest room in the arms of a male doctor, worry etched upon the man's face. Sitting in the waiting room, Heero could hear the shouts of the nurses as they raced back and forth.

His heart felt as if it might beat right out of his chest. Relena, of course, was in that room with them, watching as the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with Case, probably looking worried, but as composed and assured as she always did. She would be paying close attention, concern for her son etched upon her every feature.

He hadn't been able to handle it. Heero had followed them down to the room, but the minute they laid that little blond head on the pillow and began inserting IVs and running tests, he couldn't stand it anymore. More than anything he wanted to be in that room, helping as much as he could, hovering over Case…comforting Relena…but he knew he couldn't. Case wasn't his responsibility, never could be.

Heero leaned over, tried to put his head in his hands, but they were shaking too badly. Each noise from the hospital room echoed down the hall to him, and even if he couldn't hear the words distinctly, Heero heard the undertones of nervousness in the doctor's and nurses voices…and he couldn't cope with it anymore. He stood.

The monstrous, overwhelming anxiety that was coursing through his body, permeating his being, wasn't for him - it was for a little boy. And that was what was scaring him. Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, the machine, the fearless…had never been so frightened in his entire life.

_Time to leave_, a voice in his head whispered, the part of his brain that the doctors and trainers had overtaken and conquered - a part that would never go away. _She's not watching, the little boy has no idea - get out while you can, before you just complicate things further. _

He stepped once in the direction of the elevator - down to freedom, down to his world without this mind-numbing concern. He would never have to touch that little boy again, never - never _corrupt_ him with -

Another step towards the elevator; the crazed, harried noises from that room down the hall faded.

_You know you don't deserve him - or her. You know you'll only make life hell for them. You know…you don't deserve to live._

Another step - and then he stopped.

There was music coming from somewhere nearby, music that was nothing like the beeping of a heart monitor or the click of computers, nothing like the anxious voices and the hassled commands. Someone…was singing.

Heero knew instantly who it was, and then his feet were stepping in the wrong direction, away from the elevator, before he could control it.

_No! _his mind screamed. But Heero - Heero, not the Perfect Soldier - knew that Relena had him under her spell, and he was powerless against her magic.

He crept noiselessly down the hall, listening carefully. The doctors were quiet, speaking in hushed tones, and the whirr of machinery was still there, but all he could hear were the soft words, sung to a simple lullaby, a lilting melody that reminded him, for some reason, of rain, and of soft evenings spent holding an angel in his arms.

Dragontales and water is wild

Pirates sail and lost boys fly

Fish find moonbeams every night

And I love you

They were forbidden thoughts, feelings that he knew he had no right to feel, but against everything his mind was telling him, Heero moved forward until he was standing at the doorway of the hospital room. The door was pushed open hurriedly by a nurse, who barely glanced at him, and Heero moved until he could see inside.

Case was lying on the bed, cheeks bright red with fever, blond hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, his little body struggling convulsively on other hospital bed. Doctors were checking clipboards, feeling his pulse, watching monitors, but they were silent, only speaking in whispers…because the little boy's mother was singing him a lullaby, and for some reason, the spell the Siren cast with her song left them all silent.

Heero laid eyes, yet again, on the woman he lived life for, and the scene went straight inside him and pierced his heart. Relena had pulled a chair over to the hospital bed, and even amidst Case's frantic convulsions, she had her head next to his, and reached up with her right hand to entangle her fingers in the golden hair. For the second time that night, the bedclothes were damp with tears, and her eyes were closed tightly. The hand that was not in Case's hair was clutching the sheets of the bed in a fist, her knuckles white.

The song fell from her mouth, almost as if she were comforting herself. The sweetly sorrowful melody was quiet, just barely escaping her lips. As she finished the first verse of the lullaby, a sudden, fierce spasm hit Case, and the doctors cried out as they scrambled frantically to calm him down. Relena didn't open her eyes, but Heero watched as the fist clutching the sheets tightened, as the hand resting on Case's head pushed him down gently to the pillow. The song came again, her voice strained with anxiety.

Godspeed, little man

Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night

On angel's wings

Godspeed

Sweet dreams

But something was happening. As the words were sung softly into the hospital room, Case's little body was relaxing. Heero was the first to notice; he gave an involuntary step into the room, wondering for a split second if the little boy was dying. The nurses must have thought the same thing, because they all went to the bedside or whipped around to stare at their monitors and charts. But Heero's eyes were on Case, and on Relena, and as she kept singing and stroking his hair, he watched Case's breathing grow more and more regular, watched his shuddering seizures dissipate, until the boy was only trembling slightly.

Tears dropping silently to the sheets, Relena kept her eyes shut tight as she half-whispered the next verse.

Rocket racer's all tuckered out

Superman's in pajamas on the couch

Goodnight moon, we'll find the mouse

And I love you

The doctors had double-checked their monitors, had felt Case's forehead and taken his temperature again, and, shaking their heads in bewilderment and wonder, were backing out of the room. There was an unspoken atmosphere surrounding the mother and her son, and Heero heard the word "miracle" float to his ears from one of the exiting nurses.

He stepped fully inside the room, and didn't hear the door close behind him. Neither Case nor Relena moved - or heard him, more likely - as he came to stand behind Relena. Case took a deep, shuddering inhale, and Relena sang gently,

Godspeed, little man

Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night

On angel's wings

Godspeed

Sweet dreams

Here she stopped, as if she did not want to keep singing. Case was sleeping now, his features sweaty but peaceful. Heero knelt, slowly and silently, and wondered why she didn't go on.

Finally, her brow creased, the tears trickling slowly to the sheets, Relena whispered slowly,

God bless Mommy and matchbox cars

God bless -

Her voice broke, a small sob racked her shoulders, and Relena buried her face in the pillow. Heero, concerned, startled by her sudden movement, lifted a hand and, very, very slowly, unfastened Relena's grip on the sheets, and intertwined his fingers with hers.

As they touched, really touched, for the first time in more than six years, Heero felt a wave of emotions overpower him.

He was so utterly, helplessly in love with this woman.

Relena lifted her head, and their gazes locked. Her eyes questioned his, searching for an answer to a question she did not have the strength to voice.

Somehow, Heero knew exactly what she wanted to know, and even though he was giving away the past six years of hiding, an utterly different way of thinking, and a completely set lifestyle - sitting there, looking into her eyes, he did not care.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The look in her eyes meant more to him than any mission objective ever did - and mission objectives were his life. There was one pure emotion radiating from those gorgeous sapphire eyes: love. Somehow, he had known that she had never fallen out of love with him, but seeing it there, on her face, in the way she held his hand, scared him.

_You are in way over your head, Yuy._

There was a movement on the bed, and, without opening his eyes, Case suddenly whispered, "Mommy?"

Relena tore her gaze away from Heero's and fastened on her son's face. Not releasing Heero's hand, she used the other to wipe a few stray locks of damp blond hair out of Case's forehead. "I'm here, sweetheart," she murmured soothingly, eyes shining with tears. "It's okay, baby, go back to sleep."

Case turned over on his side, snuggling into the pillow. His mouth opened in a yawn, and, eyes still shut tight and already half-asleep, he mumbled, "But you stopped singing…"

He was asleep by then, but Relena couldn't deny him. She tried again -

God bless Mommy and matchbox cars

- and then met Heero's eyes.

God bless Dad and thanks for the stars

Heero's breath faltered, an unfamiliar lump rising in his throat.

God hears 'Amen' wherever we are

And I love you

"Relena…" Heero whispered, the name tasting sweet on his lips.

A small, hesitant smile formed on her mouth, making the room suddenly seem brighter. "Why'd you leave us, Heero?" she whispered.

He shook his head. He hated words - he was so terrible with them, had no idea how to capture their elusive magic. Previously, in every situation like this, he had escaped by running: what he did best. But he could not run from life anymore, for that was what Relena - and this little boy - were: his life.

"I," he began, his voice hoarse, "was…afraid."

"Why?" Relena whispered, her eyes searching his, pleading.

"Because!" Heero whispered roughly, dropping her hand. "Because - because I - " He stopped and shook his head, eyes downcast. "Look at him, Relena. I - I don't deserve him."

She reached forward, took his hand again, intertwining her fingers with his. "That little boy," Relena murmured, and he could feel her gaze boring into him, "has your eyes, Heero. He has your build, and your strength, and your irritating ability to know exactly what is bugging me at any minute of any day. He loves things that fly, wants to be a pilot, builds entire worlds with Legos, and, more than anything else in the world - " Her voice dropped in a wave of emotion. " - he wants to have a daddy."

How could he make her understand? "I'm - I'm _stained_, Relena," he hissed, grasping for words to describe how he felt. "I'm contaminated. I've killed so many people, done so many things that…and I _know_ he's been tormented already for it, without me even in the picture, so how…"

She didn't say anything, and, taking her silence to mean that she didn't understand, he released her hand and held his own up in front of his face. "My hands…are stained, Relena. With blood. And guilt. And," he continued, his voice cracking a little as he stared at Case on the hospital bed, "I can't touch something so pure as - as he is…"

"…without staining him too." Relena finished for him.

_Or you_, he added mentally, but merely gave a mute nod.

"Oh, Heero," she sighed, suddenly looking very tired and much older than her twenty-six years. "You never realized that the past doesn't matter anymore."

"Mine does."

"Heero -"

"You can't escape the facts, Relena," he cut her off roughly. "People who had no problem killing a thousand people in a single, well-aimed blast just don't get over their past. It comes back to get them." Suddenly realizing the insanity of all of this, of sitting in the hospital room with two human beings he had vowed never to speak to again, Heero stood.

Relena's head fell back to look at him. She didn't say anything, just watched as he turned and took a few steps toward the door.

As he reached out and grasped the handle, a soft question reached his ears.

"Do you now?"

Automatically, he turned. "Do I what?"

"Have qualms about killing a thousand people in one blast."

His eyes were grave. "Yes."

Relena stood suddenly, her voice low and passionate as she moved toward him. With each step, Heero felt himself losing more and more self-control. "Then there is no problem, Heero. You are not contaminated, you have no stains, you cannot ruin another person's life just by touching them." The tears were shining brightly in her beautiful blue eyes now. "You are not the Perfect Soldier anymore; you prevent war, guard whom you choose, and work to keep the peace." Another step closer, and their faces were just inches apart. "You," she added, eyes shimmering and voice lowered to a whisper, "are the man I fell in love with," - here the tears spilled once more - "and the father of a sweet little boy who knows all about you, yet does nothing but idolize you as his hero."

And just as the words fell from her lips, and Heero was suddenly seized by an incredible, overwhelming urge to kiss her, there was a soft yawn from the hospital bed.

Relena whirled around. Case was sitting, another jaw-cracking yawn stretching his mouth, and then he was looking at them both, taking stock of Heero.

It was there, staring into the eyes of his son for the second time in his life, that Heero felt as if he could not move.

"Mommy?" Case said, hesitantly, watching Heero with big, nervous blue eyes. "Who's that?"

**AU: Heeheehee…sorry, another cliffhanger, I guess…I seem to have a strange attachment to cliffhangers…but the next chap should be up pretty soon…in the meantime, you can put down your stuffed animals and tomatoes and miscellaneous sharp objects and perhaps click that nice little blue box in the bottom corner? Hehheh…**

**Luvs!**

**Dragonfire**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey everybody…sorry this one took a bit longer to get up. The last week's been so crazy, and I've been totally re-editing and updating Incognito, so that's taken up a lot of my time. Hopefully not too many people have left…=)**

**And thanks, Adilande, for pointing out the AN/AU thing…truth is, it's an inside joke between a friend and I. But hey, people are gonna start thinking I'm stupid (if they didn't already)…so, sorry Tiff, joke's up. :D Maybe Dustin'll catch on now! Heehee…**

**I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate the ::gasp:: FIFTY reviews on this! More than my others combined…I cannot believe it. :D You people are so awesome…as long as there are readers out there who actually read and enjoy my stuff, I'll be writing as fast and as well as I can!! Thanks so much!**

Chapter 6 

Relena was the first to cross the room to where Case sat on the hospital bed, his wide eyes staring at Heero. "Case," she said softly, sitting next to him and running a hand through his hair. She glanced up at Heero, a little nervously, not sure what to say.

But Heero couldn't move. He stared at Relena, flabbergasted, unable to speak. What could be said?

She turned to the little boy again, deciding for the both of them. "Case, honey…this is your daddy."

Heero's breath caught in his throat. He felt as if he was made out of stone, an observer, watching the scene through another person's eyes.

This was the moment of truth. Everything depending on what came from that little boy's mouth right now - the only thing that mattered was the expression in Case's Prussian blue eyes.

More frightened than ever before, Heero closed his eyes, waiting for the rejection, the heartbreak. Relena was staring at her son, pleading with her eyes. And then Case opened his mouth.

His voice was very soft, and it held the sweet curiosity of a child. "Are you…"

Heero realized, somewhere in a distant corner of his mind, that his body was trembling.

Case tried again. "Are you…the one that flies the huge planes?"

His eyes opened.

_What?_

Relena was staring in surprise at her son. Case, having conquered the fear of voicing the rather uncomfortable question, pressed on. "My mom's told me a lot…that you fly huge planes and one time you stopped this gigantic thing from crashing into Earth and saved a lot of people…" his voice trailed off, and a shyness crept into Case's features. He admitted, in a small voice, "I want to fly planes someday."

Relena's gaze slid to Heero, a soft smile on her lips. Heero was staring, disbelief etched in his eyes. Case…this kid was beat up at school for being _his_ son, and yet…there was no bitterness in his voice.

He had to say something, anything…but what? What do you say, in a moment like this…

"Maybe," Heero whispered hoarsely, trying to still his shaking hands, "sometime, when your mom is away at a meeting…we can take a test flight in one of those huge planes."

It was the right thing to say. Case's eyes - eyes identical to Heero's - widened in surprise and delight. "Really?"

Relena's eyes were shining. Very slowly, Heero crossed to the bed, feeling a warmth he hadn't experienced for six years spread throughout his body. "And maybe, once we're up in the air, you can try the controls."

Case was astonished. "Are you - " he stopped, then suddenly cried, "Hey! I know you! I saw you in my mom's meeting yesterday, you - you had my Lego car."

Heero didn't know what to say. His son was speaking to him without any hesitation, as if…as if they were friends.

"That's right," Relena said, her voice a little shaky due to the tears restricting her throat. "He was standing guard, Case. That's what he's been doing for a long time."

The little boy smiled, sending Heero's heart to speeding. "Really?" he asked, incredulous. "Like - like a guardian angel?"

A tear very, very slowly made its way down Heero's face, before dropping to the bed near Relena's hand.

"Yeah," he whispered, in a voice choked with emotion. "Your guardian angel."

And very, very slowly, his eyes wide but with no hint of fear, Case leaned forward and wrapped his small arms around Heero's neck.

More would have been said if the door hadn't suddenly burst open in a flurry of noise and movement. In tumbled eight bodies with eight loud voices, and then as they all caught sight of who was in hospital room, Hilde, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, Lucrezia, and Zechs went dead silent.

Amid the following hush, during which they all stared at Heero, the rather hassled-looking attendant poked her head in the doorway.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Peacecraft," she said, sounding very exasperated. "I _told _them your son had just woken up, but they all came barging in - "

"It's all right," Relena murmured, smiling. "Case is fine."

The attendant cast one last disapproving glance at the group - who were still staring - and then closed the door.

Duo spoke first. "Well…" he said, eyes wide. "Someone must've spiked the drink at dinner tonight, because somehow I'm seeing Heero Yuy sitting at that bed."

Case beamed. "That's 'cause he's here, Uncle Duo - this is my dad!"

Apparently not knowing what else to do, Wufei crossed his arms and said stiffly, "Well, about time, Yuy."

Hilde immediately punched him in the shoulder, her eyes still on Heero.

Zechs stepped forward, narrowed eyes studying his nephew's father. His brow was creased - he saw the expression on Relena's face, watched Case's eyes light up as he looked at his dad. "Just tell me one thing, Yuy," he said raggedly.

Solemnly, Heero nodded once.

"Are you going to leave again?"

Case's gaze went to his father's face, and Heero smiled down into those eyes identical to his own. "Nope," he replied. "I'm here to stay."

"Ha!" Duo gave a whoop and slugged Heero on the shoulder. "Good to have ya back, buddy!"

Heero gave a half-grin as Quatre eagerly came over and gave him an impulsive hug. "We've missed you, Heero, really, we have - "

Trowa, from the doorway, gave Heero the barest hint of a smile and acknowledged him with a single nod. It was enough. Heero nodded back, and then turned to Duo's incessant chatter.

" - walked in on this call between Re and Hilde, something about Case seeing you at a meeting or whatever - "

They were all talking at once, with the exception of Trowa, Heero, and Relena, speaking to each other, to Case; Hilde was hugging Duo and Lucrezia was telling Zechs how sweet the whole situation was - briefly, Heero was kind of forgotten.

He sat watching the people he loved most in the world argue and laugh, and felt a smile stretch across his face. Then, from behind him, he felt Relena moved forward and put her head on his shoulder, her hand reach for his. Feeling warmth spread throughout his entire being, he squeezed her hand and relished her nearness.

"All right," Quatre said, noticing the actions, "let's clear out of hear, people."

Duo immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Hilde whacked him behind the head. "They haven't seen him in six years, you idiot, get out of the room!"

"Well, neither have I," Duo pouted, giving Heero a pleading glance. "I want to be included!"

Zechs had been watching Heero carefully, a small smile on his face. He noticed how he held Relena's hand so tenderly, kept one arm around Case, and somehow, Zechs knew that everything would be all right.

"Sorry, Duo," he heard Trowa say calmly, "time to go."

Zechs nodded once to Heero, and in that movement, handed over his little sister and his nephew. Then he crossed the room to assist Trowa and Wufei in hauling Duo out of the room.

"You just better be ready to spend all day with me, buddy, we got a lot of catching up to do!" Duo called as he was pretty much dragged out the doorway.

Lucrezia, the last to leave, gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, guys," she said, then fixed Heero with gaze that told him how much she approved. "Welcome back, Heero," she murmured - and with that, the room was empty again.

"I think," Case said into the silence, "that Uncle Duo was jealous that I have a guardian angel and he doesn't."

Relena and Heero exchanged glances. Then Heero pulled Case into his lap and said, "Yeah, he was just jealous, huh?"

Case gave another yawn and grinned tiredly up at his father. "Too bad," he murmured, letting his head rest against Heero's chest. "I'm not sharing." Within a moment, he had fallen asleep again.

Relena met Heero's gaze again, her smile sweet and full of love. They didn't speak, but they didn't have to. She laid her head on his shoulder, kept her hand entwined in his, and closed her eyes.

At that moment, Heero knew life was perfect. No one would ever again have to give him proof about hope, or love, or a God, or miracles - he looked at Relena, and at the little boy in his arms, and he believed.

**AN: Aw, crap…::glares at keyboard:: I feel terrible about this one. I seriously got the ****_worst_**** case of writer's block and I really feel like I wrote a totally horrible ending. Grr… ::bangs head on desk:: I am so sorry if anyone feels this isn't up to par…but I really couldn't think of another ending…if anyone has any suggestions/ideas and wants me to rewrite, I gladly will! Thanks, everyone, for your patience, for reading my humble works, and for reviewing!!**

**In the meantime, I had a really good idea for a Christmas-y fic, and am really excited to get started on it…however, I'll wait until November at least so it gets me more into the holiday mood. :D Until then, I'll have to dig up some other inspiration…hmmm…any ideas?? =) **

**Hehhehheh…**

**'Til next time,**

**Dragonfire**


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